Recofloor Honors 2013 Recycling Winners

Recofloor, a U.K.-based vinyl flooring take-back scheme, has recognized flooring companies, contractors and distributors at its annual Awards Event. Through the Recofloor program more than 450 metric tons of vinyl flooring have been recovered for recycling.

During the ceremony, Recofloor gave out certificates and trophies in nine award categories. Additionally, the organization presented Gold and Silver awards to member organizations.

Jane Gardner, Recofloor’s project manager, praised the efforts of its 470 registered collectors. “Communication across the entire flooring supply chain has been crucial to the scheme’s success and continues to drive these remarkable achievements, which represent a big step forward for the sector as a whole,” she noted during the event.

Since its 2009 inception by flooring manufacturers Altro and Polyflor, Recofloor has collected 1,259 metric tons of smooth offcuts, smooth uplifted vinyl and safety offcuts, which have been recycled back into products such as new flooring. This year’s collection target is 600 metric tons.

Ampthill-based Axiom Group took Construction Project of the Year for recovering more than 37.5 metric tons of off-cuts over two years from its now-completed £400 million development of North Staffordshire Hospital in Newcastle-under-Lyme. Axiom worked with Recofloor to ensure maximum reduction of carbon impact for collections.

Receiving the Contractor of the Year award was Mayfield Floors, based in Stockport, U.K. The contractor, working with Recofloor, diverted 15.5 metric tons of vinyl flooring from landfills in 2012. Mayfield also won a Gold Award for the third consecutive year.

Distributor of the Year went to Nutland Carpets, whose two branches in Chandlers Ford and Poole diverted 16.25 metric tons of flooring from landfills.

Joint winners of the Drop-off Site User of the Year award were Isle of Wight-based Abbotts Flooring and EC Flooring of Tottenham. The new category recognizes collectors as using their drop-off point in an environmentally-friendly and efficient manner.

FITA, the Floor Industry Training Association, which provides courses for all floor layers across the sector, took the Recofloor Specialist trophy for making the scheme an integral part of its curriculum.

Best Newcomer went to Ipswich-based Top Floors for collecting two metric tons of vinyl flooring from a range of projects in a very short time.

Kent Flooring Supplies received the award for Greatest Improvement.

Key Floors, located in Hook, Hampshire, collected the Outstanding Achievement award that recognized the company’s efforts in using the scheme across a wide range of clients.

A total of 44 firms received Gold and Silver Awards, which were calculated by the tonnage collected in relation to the average number of fitters a company employs.